Pattern-drawing machine



H. H. CUMMINGS AND A. J. MUMMERT.

PATTERN DRAWING MACHINE.

APPLICATION men nor. 3. ma.

11,3 1 3,882; Patented Aug. 26, 19-19.

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H. H. CUMMINGS AND A. J. MUMMERT.

PATTERN DRAWING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED OCT-3.1918.

1,3 13,882. Patented Aug. 26, 1919 3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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H. H. QUMMINGS AND A. J. MUMMERT.

PATTERN DRAWING MACHINE.

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NETE @iTATE ATENT OFFICE HERBERT H. CUMMINGS AND ARDEN J. MUMIVIERT, OF ST, LOUIS, MISSOURI,

ASSIGNORS T0 McQUAY-NORRIS MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORA- TION OF MISSOURI.

PATTERN-DRAWING MACHINE.

Application filed October 3, 1918.

State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in lattern-Dr aw ing Machines, of which the tollowing 1s a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereot.

As well understood in the molding art, the drawing of the pattern from the mold is usually accomplished either by manually tapping the pattern directly with a suitable hammer or tool or indirectly through a bar or rod. connected to the pattern, or by subjecting; the pattern to a series of tremors or vibrations through the instrumentality ot a pneumatic, electric, steam, or other hammer mounted on the frame holding the pattern, either of these methods serving to loosen the pattern from the mold 't'ormed the sand in which the pattern is embedded, a tter which the pattern is Free to be drawn from the mold without disturbing the sand around the impression left by the pattern. and hence without disturbing the design Formed in the sand. The drawing of the pattern thus loosened unless large and heavy, is usually accomplished by hand, especially in the case of small castings. 'Iheoretically the pattern should be lifted from the mold or the mold from the pattern by a movement which shall cause a separation of the members at all points along lines at right angles to the parting plane or plane of contact between the members. Such a movement can not ,be practically accomplished by hand, and so far as we are aware it has never been accomplished mechanically. ()ne oi the objects of the present invention therefore is to construct a machine or apparatus in which the drawing oi the pattern from the mold may be accomplished by a relative separatinc movement of translation between the members, the pattern, in the present embodiment of our invention, being pre't'erably the stationary member. and the mold the movable member. though a stationary mold and a nu' able pattern or an apparatus in which both the pat-tern and the mold are movable come within the scope of our invention.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 26, 1915).

Serial No. 256,748.

With the use of our device the preliminary loosening of the pattern from the mold referred to above is not necessary, though of course there may be occasions in practice where such loosening step might be desirable. This feature however is not concerned with our invention which is directed solely to the apparatus by which the drawing of the pattern from the mold is etlected. It is obvious that in order to draw a pattern which is stationary, from a mold which is movable, by a movement which shall insure against possible disturbance of the sand around the pattern, the moving mold must not be permitted to suffer any lateral or angular displacement either at the instant of or during the separation of the members, but must be so moved and guided as to strictly preserve a true motion of translation from the contact plane between the members. It is therefore one of the objects of our invention to construct an apparatus in which such a movement shall e assured "tor the mold and the fiask supporting the same, and this by means 0'! a structure which shall be simple, positive in its action and reliable, one containing a minimum number of parts. and one possessing further and other structural advantages better apparent from the 'tollowing detailed description of the invention in connection with the accompanying drawings in which- Figure '1 represents a front elevation of the machine showing" the flasks and lifting spider therefor in their depressed position, parts being broken away; Fig. 2- is a vertical longitudinal middle section (with parts left in elevation) showing the spider elevated suIlicicnt-ly to lift the flasks from the pattern plates; Fig. 3 is a top plan of the machine with one of the flasks and its pattern plate removed to expose the table or platform to which the pattern, plate is secured; Fig. l is a horizontal section on the line -'ll of Fig. 1: Fig. 5 is a vertical crosssection on the line of Fig. 1; Fig. 6 is a vertical section through two superposed llasks and their molds taken on a diagonal corresponding to the line 6-6 indicated in Fig. 3; Fig. 7 a bottom plan of a portion o i one ot-tho, molds showing the impression left by the pattern; Fig. 8 a bottom plan of the cam ring interposed between the ll'ftlllg spider and the operating lever; and

9 is an elevation of the cam ring.

Referring to the drawings, B represents fastened (by means of screws or otherwise) I the pattern plates 2, 2, the two plates being disposed symmetrically about the center of the platform 1 and being substantially square in shape with diagonal corners to match the corresponding corners of the platform 1. To the pattern plate (both plates being alike) are secured the patterns (4, those in the present example being patterns of piston-rings disposed symmetrically about the center of the plate, each ring being provided with a riser 71 and the several rings connected to a center sprue pin 25 by means of runners or gates m radiating from the sprue pin to the several rings, as well understood in the art. Adapted to be deposited on each pat-tern plate is a mold-flask 3 the ribs (Z of which are so disposed as to come between the pattern rings a when the flask is deposited on the plate (Fig. The flask is square in shape with rounded corners, two pattern plates and two flasks entirely covcri'ng the platform or table 1 as clearly obvious from the drawings. As well understood in the art, after the flasks are deposited on the pattern plates, a sand-frame f is placed on top of the flasks, and the sand 8 is then poured into the flasks and frame on top of the pattern plates, and, by means of a strike-off or equivalent tool, is evened off with the upper edge of the sand-frame and top of the sprue pin (the top of the sprue pin coming even with the upper edge of the sand frame). The sand is then pressed or squeezed against the pattern by means of a copeboard 0 which may be forced against the sand by hand or by any suitable mechanical squeezer, the cope-board being provided with an opening or tubular passage-way 0 to accommodate the sprue pin 2? (Fig. 1). The cope-board is driven into the sand frame until the sand has been com- .pacted sufficiently to bring its upper surface substantially even with the top of the flask,

' this squeezing of the sand causing the pattern to impress itself into the sand, leaving a mold as shown 1n Flg. 7, the depress-ions a, h, and m of the mold corresponding to the raised. portions a, 7L, and m of the pattern. and the sprue hole 0 corresponding to the hole left by the sprue-pin t or to the hole 0 in the cope-board. In Fig. 6 are shown two superposed flasks with their molds, ready for the casting operation, the molten metal being poured into the top sprue hole 0, the superposed sprue holes of the several molds, forming a pouring channel from which the met-al'finds its way into the several patternsthrough the gates m, the risers h taking care of all eXcess metal and floating impurities, and, by reason of the comparatively large quantity of metal held by said risers, preventing a too sudden chilling of the metal in the pattern molds a','tl1e heat from the metal in a riser being communicated to the metal in the mold, a. So too, the heat from the metal in the several risers h offsets that from the metal in the sprue pouring channel and gates m, permitting all parts of the metal forming the casting to cool uniformly. Formed on the front and rear walls of the flask 3 are lobes or lugs at perforated to loosely receive suitable guide pins 5 projecting from substantially corresponding lugs or lobes 6 on the front and rear walls of the platform 1; and formed at the corners of the flask are diagonally pro jecting lugs 7 for a purpose to presently appear.

In the present embodiment of the invention, the plate B and table or platform 1 are connected by a centrally disposed vertical spindle or cylindrical staff 8 the same terminating in a bottom screw threaded eX- tension .8 passed through the plate B and provided with a clamping nut 9 below the plate 13, and in an upper reduced extension 8 passed through and terminating flush with the top of the platform 1, the pattern plates being secured to the extension 8" by screws 10 passed through suitable bosses 11 formed on the bottom of the pattern plates. Similar screws 10 passed through similar bosses 11 likewise secure the pattern plates directly to theplatform l, the front and rear bosses being preferably secured by bolts 1:2

as shown in Fig. 5, said bolts passing entirely through the platform or table 1. 'By the construction shown and described the spindle or staff 8- is shouldered to both the members B and 1, the upper end thereof being secured to the pattern plates, the whole resulting in a very strong and rigid con struction. Reciprocating vertically on the staff or spindle 8 is a multiple-armed spider 13, the free ends of the several arms projecting slightly beyond the front and rear walls of the platform 1, and under the lugs 7 of the flasks whenthe latter have been properly deposited on their respective pattern plates (Fig. The outer terminals of the spider arms are provided with split threaded bearings or pinch sockets 14 for receiving the adjustable lifting bolts or screw-pins 15, the pinsbeing adjusted so as to cause their upper ends to touch the bottoms of the lugs 7 of the flasks 3 when the latter have been deposited on their pattern mon hub 16 terminating in a reduced bottom extension or sleeve 16 leaving an outer annular shoulder 'w between the parts, said shoulder being engaged by the plane upper edge of a cam ring 17 passed over and setserewed to the sleeve 16, the bottom edge of the ring being formed into two wedge cams e, to be engaged by corresponding cam formations 0 formed on the inner terminal cam-head or hub 18 of a horizontally swinging operating lever 19, the free end of which is provided with a suitable handle H. The hub 18 is passed loosely over the sleeve 16 below the cam-ring 17, the bottom of the hub resting on the boss 20 formed on the plate 13, and being free to rotate about the sleeve 16. At the same time the spider hub 16 and its sleeve 16 are loose on the staff 8 so as to be free to reciprocate vertically on said staff. To prevent rotary displacement of the spider during these vertical reciprocations, suitable guide pins 21 are rigidly secured to the platform 1 (in the present example shown as passed through openings in the platform and fitting with a drive fit in said openings) on opposite sides of the staff 8, the said pins projecting below the platform and playing loosely in openings 22 formed for their reception in the spider 13; The said pins insure for the spider a rectilinear reciprocating movement at all times, every point in the spider moving in right lines without lateral or rotary displacement.

The operation of the machine is substantially as follows: After the sand 8 has been squeezed down by the cope-boards c (assuming we are using both flasks) to the level of the upper edges of the flasks, the copeboards and sand f 'ame are removed (any sand on top of the sprue pins being brushed off the pins with the finger before the copeboards are applied as fully shown in Fig. 1), the squeezing operation not only compacting the sand, but causing the pattern to be impressed in the sand, the design of the pattern (including gates and sprue pin) as impressed being shown in Fig. 7 During the sand-squeezing operation it will be understood that the flasks 3 are resting on the pattern plates 2, and that the spider 13 is in. its lowest position, with the upper ends of the lifting pins 15 touching the bottoms of the lugs 7 of the flasks, and with the guide pins 5 protruding through the perforations formed for their reception in the lugs -t of said flasks. For this position of the parts, the lever 19 is swung to the right as shown in Fig. 1. As previously pointed out, the drawing of the pattern from the mold is a delicate operation, because unless the separation or parting of these members is at all times and at all points along right lines which are substantially perpendicular to the plane of separation or contact plane between them, there is danger of disarrangmg the sand around the mold or impression left in the sand, resulting in a defective mold. As well understood in the art the practice of loosening the pattern by tapping or by a succession of tremors preparatory to drawing is resorted to, especially where the pattern is subsequently drawn by hand. By the use of the present machine however, tapping or vibration of the pattern is entirely dispensed with, particularly in the case of patterns for small castings to the drawing of which the present invention is specially adapted. Assuming the parts to be in their depressed position as described, the operator thereupon swings the lever 19 to the left (through an arc of substantially 135 degrees) causing the cam surfaces 0 of the boss 18 thereof to ride down the corresponding surfaces 0 of the cam ring 17. thereby forcing the said ring against the hub 16 (that is to say, against the shoulder -w formed by the members 16, 16), of the spider and lifting the spider. As the spider moves upward the pins 15 thereof lift the flasks 3 whose lugs 7 are engaged by said pins, the flasks being guided. and held to a strict movement of translation by the guide pins 5, the distance to which the flasks are lifted by the swing of the lever 19 being in suflicient however to withdraw the guide pins from the lugs 4 of the flasks. The raised positions of the flasks are shown in Fig. 2, the patterns having been fully drawn from the sand of the molds. To remove the flasks from the machine the ope 'ator seizes the same by the lugs 4, 4t, withdrawing the latter entirely from the pins 5, and with the mold of the pattern pointing downward he deposits the first flask on a suitable support or surface A (Fig. 6), all subsequent, flasks being then piled on top of the first flask to any required number. two being shown in Fig. 6 by way of example. The molten metal is then poured into the central vertical passage made by the succession of sprue holes 0', the metal finding its way through the gates m into the molds a and risers h.

The ring castings are then detached from the metal cast in the gates and risers, the narrow neck of metal connecting the cast ring to the metal of the gate and riser being readily broken as obvious from Fig. 6 of the drawings. It will be seen from the foregoing that from the moment the flask 3 starts to lift off the pattern until its upward movement is arrested by the lever 19 reaching the limit of its lifting stroke the sweep of the lever being limited by the front standards S, S, between which it operates) the flask moves along right lines perpendicular to the plane of separation between the pattern and flask and mold carried thereby, the drawing of the pattern being accomplished by a relative movement of translation between the pattern (or pattern plate) as r and the flask and its mold. In the present machine the flask and its mold move and the pattern is stationary or fixed; but it is within the scope of our invention to include machines in which the pattern moves and the flask (with its mold) is stationary, and likewise machines in which both the aforesaid members move. The preferred construction is that herein shownor its equivalent.

As well understood in the art, the pattern is usually formed with a draw or taper to permit the ready removal thereof from the mold, the purpose of the draw being to prevent the scraping of the surface of the mold by the pattern as the latter is being drawn therefrom. This scraping is entirely absent by the use of our machine, the rectilinear or translational movement imposed on the reciprocating flask-actuating spider or member of the machine, effecting a clean separation between the draw surfaces of the pattern and mold the instant the drawing operation beglns, said separation being maintained throughout the entire operation, a regfllt not attainable by th prevailing methods of drawing the pattern on account of uneven movements, lateral displacements and oscillations of either the pat-tern or mold taking place in the drawing operation. Since a clean and permanent separation between the pattern and the mold necessarily results from a movement of translation of one of the members (there being no unevenness or unsteadiness in such a movement and no lateral sways or displacements) it follows that with the use of our machine the draw or taper of the pattern may be reduced to a minimum without danger of scraping the sides of the mold, or the rubbing together of the parting draw surfaces of the mold and pattern. By reducing the draw we produce a mold the casting from which requires less machining than is possible under the prevailing practice where considerable draw is necessary to permit the drawing of the pattern previously tapped or subjected to vibration to loosen it from the sand. In the present machine it will be seen that a square flask is employed. It is found in practice that the sand in a square flask lends itself to a more even squeeze than is possible with oblong or other forms of flasks. Obviously the details of the machine may be considerably changed without in any wise affecting the nature or spirit of the invention. In the. present machine employing a reciprocating spider for lifting the flask off the pattern, the lever 19 at-the conclusion of each operation is necessarily swung to the right (Fig. 1), tl1is causing the cam faces 6 of the lever hub to ride up the inclines c of the cam ring 17 thereby allowing the spider to drop and. permit a fresh flask to be deposited on the pattern plate and over the lifting pins 15 The pattern is of course brushed clean at the conclusion of each operation, a matter Well understood by those skilled in the art.

Having described our invention what we claim is:

1. In a pattern drawing machine, a fixed support for the pattern, a spindle disposed below and contiguous to said support, a vertically reciprocating member mounted on the spindle, means interposed between the pattern-support and said reciprocatin mem her for guiding the latter, a flask adapted to be positioned over the pattern and engaged by the reciprocating member at'points contiguous to the fixed support, said member operating to lift the flask with an upward movement of the member, and means on the flipport for guiding the flask while being i ted.

2. In a pattern drawing machine, a suitable supporting frame, a platform surmounting the same, a spindle depending fromthe platform, a vertically reciprocating member mounted on the spindle, means for actuating the reciprocating member, a pattern plate on the platform adapted to have deposited thereover a flask with its sand to receive the impression from the pattern, devices on the reciprocating member adjacent the latform operating to engage and lift the ask and its mold with an upward movement of the reciprocating member, and means on the platform for guiding the flask while being lifted.

3. In a pattern drawing machine, a fixed support for the pattern, a spindle depending from said support, a vertically reciprocating member mounted on the-spindle, means interposed between the pattern-support and said reciprocating member for guiding the latter, a flask adapted to be positioned over the pattern and engaged by the reciprocating member at points contiguous to the fixed support, said member operating to lift the flask with an upward movement of the member, and means on the support for guiding the flask while being lifted.

4. In a pattern drawing machine, a fixed support for the pattern, a spindle mounted rigidly below the support, a vertically re ciprocating member mounted on the spindle, means independent of the spindle for guiding the reciprocating member, means on the spindle for actuating the reciprocating member, and a flask adapted to be positioned over the pattern and engaged by the re ciprocatin. to lift the flask with an upward movement of the member.

5. In a-pattern drawing machine, a fixed support for the pattern, a spindle depending from the support, a vertically reciprocating member mounted on the spindle, means in terposed between the pattern-support and member, said member operating- 7 reciprocating member for guiding the latter, means on the spindle for actuating the reciprocating member, a flask adapted to be positioned over the pattern and engaged by the reciprocating member at points contiguous to the fixed support, said member operating to lift the flask with an upward movement of the member, and means on the support for guiding the flask while being lifted.

6. In a pattern drawing machine, a suitable supporting frame, a platform or table surmounting the same, a central spindle depending from the table, a vertically reciprocating spider mounted on said spindle, means on the table for guiding the spider in its reciprocations, means for actuating the spider, a pattern plate mounted on the table and adapted to have deposited thereon a flask with its sand to receive the impression from the pattern, pins on the spider engaging' the bottom of the flask at different points, and with an upwardmovement of the spider serving to lift the flask from the pattern along right lines perpendicular to the separating plane between the pattern and mold, and devices on the table for guiding the flask while being lifted.

7 A pattern drawing machine comprising a supporting frame surmounted by a platform or table, a central spindle depending from the platform and having its lower end rigidly secured -to the frame, a vertically reciprocating spider comprising a central hub traversing said spindle and arms radiating from the hub, means on the spindle engaging the hub for actuating the spider, the arms 0 i. the spider terminating at points beyond the edges of the platform, pins leadin upward from the outer ends of the spider arms, means on the platform for guiding the spider and preventing rotary displacement thereof during its reciprocating movements, a pattern plate secured to and surmounting the platform, a flask resting on the pattern plate and provided with marginal lugs projecting beyond the edges of the platform and having their bottoms engaging the upper ends of the pins leading from the ends of the spider arms, pins projecting from the platform and loosely traversing the flask for guiding the flask} as the same is lifted by the pins on the spider arms with an upward movement of the spider, the flask in its lifting movement moving along right lines perpendicular to the parting plane between the flask and pattern plate.

8. In a pattern drawing machine, a stationary frame provided with a pattern-plate supporting platform, a vertical spindle depending from said platform, a spider provided with a central hub terminating in a reduced extension loosely embracing the spindle, a cam ring secured to the extension and shouldered against the offset formed between the hub and the extension, an operating lever terminating in an annular cam head or hub loosely embracing the reduced extension of the spider hub below the cam ring and engaging said ring whereby with a sweep of the lever in a given direction the play of the cam surfaces over one another will lift the spider, the latter in turn operating to lift a flask deposited over the pattern plate, whereby the separation between the pattern and the mold in the flask will take place along right lines perpendicular to the plane of separation between the pattern plate and flask and its mold.

9. In a pattern drawing machine, a fixed support for the pattern, a centrally disposed spindle mounted below and contiguous to the support, a vertically reciprocating member on the spindle, and means on the member for engaging and lifting a flask deposited over the pattern.

10. In a pattern drawing machine, a fixed support for the pattern, a centrally disposed spindle mounted below and contiguous to the support, a vertically reciprocating member on the spindle, devices on said member contiguous to the support operating to engage and lift a flask deposited over the pattern, and means for guiding the flask while being lifted.

11. In a pattern drawing machine, a fixed support for the pattern, a stall disposed below and contiguous to the support, a vertically reciprocating member on the stall", and means on the member for engaging and lifting a flask deposited over the pattern.

In testimony whereof we have hereto affixed our signatures respectively the l-lth day of September, 1918, and the 'l9th day of September, 1918.

HERBERT II. CUMMINGS. ARDEN J. MUMMERT.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C." 

